


Rain

by Raichana



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, Headcanon, This Was Supposed To Be A One Shot, What-If, humans are more difficult to deal with then yokai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9875603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raichana/pseuds/Raichana
Summary: “Oh! Where are my manners!” she turns to face Matoba “you simply must come in for some tea Mr…?”“Matoba, Matoba Seiji… however I’m afraid I really must be going” he didn’t feel like being eaten by the child’s cat today.“Nonsense! It’s pouring and I simply must thank you” she grabbed his wrist with surprising strength for a housewife and drags him inside. Something tells him that he would have an easier time dealing with Yokai then he would with this woman.





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This is thanks to a what if scenario i was bouncing off my friend Terisashio. It's just supposed to be a bit fun and the characters may not be entirely canon. 
> 
> I reference Season 5 episode 10 as well as some plot points from Chapter 77 so if you don't want spoilers for either of those please consider this a warning!
> 
> I am firmly of the belief that Matoba isn't necessarily evil, he's just isn't good with people because of the environment of his upbringing. He is shady but i don't think he's cruel, he just only knows one way of getting what he feel he needs. 
> 
> Besides all that i hope you enjoy this, I know my writing needs a lot of work so if you see something that could be improved please feel free to let me know!

“Are you certain this is a good idea Seiji?” Matobo can feel Nanase grin as she speaks. “you could use that as leverage to get his help in the future”

A small chuckle escaped the clan leader’s lips. “I could but I would rather have him feel like he owes me a bit” he stared at the envelope with a single photo inside. “besides he doesn’t want his family to find out no matter what, as long as they don’t know we can hold that over his head” he stated like it was simply fact as he opened the car door. The sky was threatening to open up but this wouldn’t take long, Matoba decided to walk to few blocks to the Fujiwara household.

While the house was not nearly as large as any of the manors the Matoba clan controlled it seemed too large for the three people and cat that lived here. One last look at the envelope and he could feel himself hesitate. Maybe he isn’t using this information in the best possible way. Perhaps he can use it to get something from the unnaturally powerful child. Perhaps-

His thought was broken by the sudden sound of rain hitting the overhang and the cawing of a nearby crow.

“Oh no!” he heard a woman’s voice rush out of the house towards the still hanging laundry, he can’t help but stare at the frantic woman when suddenly their eyes meet. “You! Please! Help me get the laundry inside!” she sounded desperate and without really comprehending what has happened he finds himself helping. While not a difficult task he certainly never had to do this kind of thing at home.

“Safe!” she giggles to herself. “thank you so much for helping” she bows towards him, pure gratitude radiating off her small frame. She then turned around to thank the crow that warned her “Thank you once again!” she giggled.

“an albino crow? Never seen one before” He mutters under his breath more so to himself then anyone else, he’s too preoccupied with the strange bird that he hardly notices the woman jump slightly.

“Oh! Where are my manners!” she turns to face Matoba “you simply must come in for some tea Mr…?”

“Matoba, Matoba Seiji… however I’m afraid I really must be going” he didn’t feel like being eaten by the child’s cat today.

“Nonsense! It’s pouring and I simply must thank you” she grabbed his wrist with surprising strength for a housewife and drags him inside. Something tells him that he would have an easier time dealing with Yokai then he would with this woman.

Before he could protest further he found himself seated in the Livingroom and shortly after he had tea and snacks handed to him. “Thank you” he tried to give a genuine smile but he is just thinking of a way to escape this house before the kid finds out.  

“so…” she looks down at her tea for a second before gathering courage. “are you Takashi’s friend?”

He couldn’t help but be a little confused as to why she would ask that, he was dressed like a businessman today and he had made no signs that he was connected to Takashi so how could she have guessed. “I have met him a few times thanks to our Mutual acquaintance Natori Shuuichi” he paused choosing his next words carefully. “I don’t think Takashi considers me his friend though… I just stumbled on some information I heard he was looking for.” He pulls out the envelope and gently places it on the table.

“I see, he should be home shortly so you can give it to him yourself” she giggles and takes a sip of tea… again she pauses and takes another pensive moment as she looks out the window towards the helpful bird that has taken shelter from the rain. “assuming he is keeping out of trouble” she gave a heavy worried sigh.

He looked at the time, based on the information gathered about his school he should have been home a while back by now. “perhaps like me he took shelter from the rain” He didn’t know how to deal with this woman but he knew he needed to leave as soon as possible.

“Perhaps” she looked at him and back at her nearly empty cup of tea. “Mr Matoba… may I ask you a question?” she looks up at him with pleading in her eyes.

“I’m not sure if I could give you a proper answer.” He looked away, unable to look her in the face, yokai would have been easier to deal with after all.

“The things you and Takashi can see… are they dangerous?” the fear was apparent.

Matoba had to take a second to process what she said “I beg your pardon” he didn’t think he had given her any reason to ask about the yokai world. “I don’t know what you are talking about-“

“-I don’t see an albino crow…. But Takashi… and you” she was shaking, near tears. “I just want to help keep him safe but how can I help against things I can’t see?”

He just sat back and thought to himself ‘Well… considering I doubt his cat will let me live much longer’ he took a deep breath to make sure he wouldn’t misspeak. “You should ask him, not me” he looked her in the eyes. “but no matter what, know that he is surrounded by friends who will keep him as safe as possible when you can’t.”  

Before she could interrogate the poor beaten exorcist anymore the door could be heard opening. “I’m home!” It was the one voice Matoba had been dreading. At least he had a good life. “Sorry I got caught in the rain-“ Takashi’s eyes landed on Matoba and his entire body froze and all the colour drained from his face.

“Ah Takashi, Welcome home!” she got up and handed him a towel to dry whatever the umbrella hadn’t covered. “This nice young gentleman helped me bring in the laundry when the rain started. It’s so nice that people still help each other.” She smiled and went into the kitchen.

The second she was out of earshot the boy stormed over… maybe he had been worried about the cat too much he forgot the boy could also go into a murderous rage. “What are you doing here?!” he spoke barely above a whisper.

Matoba just plastered on his best smile. “Me? Oh I was just stopping by to give you a photo of your grandfather I stumbled upon when I got… well dragged into your lovely house” he chuckled. “I had heard a rumor that you were looking for information on him but if it was mistaken I shall take my leave” he grabbed the envelope.

“What’s the catch?” Natsume was glaring with such ferocity that Motaba wondered if looks could kill after all.

“So untrusting, and here I was going out of my way and asking for nothing in return… it’s just a simple thank you for the help you’ve given me in the past… and perhaps in the future?” he grins and holds out the envelope. “it’s yours if you want it”

After what seemed like an eternity of standing still Takashi takes the envelope and opens it up. The picture is old and damaged, very blurry but there is a man who looks a little like Takashi in the photo. “I wasn’t able to find anything else… just rumors that he was very knowledgeable and your Grandmother saw him as a mentor.”

“Oh! a picture of your grandpa?” the housewife came out of nowhere, Matoba had nearly forgotten about her being there. “may I see?”

Without hesitation Takashi hands the photo over. “sure Touko” his smile is very kind and relaxed.

She looks but instantly furrows her brow. “Hm? I don’t see anyone… where is he?” Takashi froze again and just stared at her confused. However, before Takashi can say anything in protest Matoba acts first and snatches the picture out of her hand and looks at it.

“My mistake, I must have brought the wrong photo” he smiled and nodded to Takashi who was still processing what this all meant “Sorry to waste your time like this, if I find the right one I’ll be sure to deliver it” he looked outside and before any further protest could be mounted. “the rain has stopped an I must take my leave. Thank you, Mrs. Fujiwara, for the tea, it was delicious, Farewell” He rushes out the door and powerwalked to the car.

She just stood there stunned. “That’s odd…. I don’t remember giving him my name” she chuckled. “he must have gotten it off the name plate.

Takashi seemed to snap back to reality after that. “Hm? Oh… yeah, I better get changed out of my uniform” he headed upstairs mind racing. He would have to ask Matoba many things next time they met.

Matoba was just happy he made it out of the house in one piece. By the time he made it back to the car he felt like he had aged five years and Nanase couldn’t help but laugh at the rare haggard expression on her bosses face. “I guess it didn’t go well? No surprise.” She looked over her shoulder. “you didn’t even give him the photo? Too bad” she started the car and the two drove away. “a total waste of time”

“Well it was informative to say the least” He sat back and looked at the photo of the grandfather. “very informative”.


	2. Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She smiled warmly at the assistant. “so, could I make one myself?”
> 
> Matoba and Nanase looked at each other and thought it over. “Possibly” they spoke in unison.
> 
> “Would you help me?” she just continued to smile as bright as the sun.
> 
> “Seiji would love to help” Nanase offered his support. “I’ll come pick you up later” she walked away and waved.
> 
> One day he would get his revenge but for now it was too late, Touko Fujiwara was once again far more frightening then any youkai could ever be. “let’s get some paper and fabric” he muttered completely defeated and led the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up writing more.... oops... so much for this being a One Shot.  
> I've actually have a ton of ideas for this kind of setting so i'll probably just randomly tack them onto this piece if i end up writing anymore. 
> 
> Still I hope you enjoy!

“Everything appears to be in order” Matoba mutters as he does his final pass of this small festival. “Nanase if you could draft up our bill so we could be on our way?” It had been a simple job making sure no youkai would ruin the festivities. However, he was in the same town as the boy and his cat, he didn’t want to have another Chance encounter.

“Seiji?” the voice behind him was small and kind yet enough to make him jump before he turned around to confirm what horror lies behind him.

“Mrs. Fujiwara?” he coughed to clear any sense of nerves from his voice, he couldn’t help but notice his assistant stifling a laugh. “it’s lovely to see you again” he didn’t want a repeat of last time, he had to escape or risk being dragged off again.  

“Same to you, you ran away so quickly last time I didn’t get to properly thank you” she smiled and bowed her head slightly. “Thank you very much Seiji”

He couldn’t help but return the bow, too stunned that without prompting she was using his given name to process much of anything else.

Nanase muttered something along the lines of “well that explains it” but Matoba chooses to ignore her.

“No Thanks are necessary, I was the one imposing on your family.” He looks at Nanase. “We should really be going- “

“-Oh, before you run, can I ask you a question Seiji?” she smiled and grabbed the corner of his sleeve. Last time she asked him a question he had accidently confirmed everything to her so he really wasn’t wanting to be put in that position again. Before he could refuse her she just continued. “do things like good luck charms or protection charms actually work?”

He took a second to process her question, how could he answer without digging himself a deeper hole.

“Yes and no” Nanase had decided to speak up this time, reveling in Matoba’s mild heart attack. “they do work if you make them specifically for the person, the mass-produced ones can have an effect but it’s so weak you can barely notice it.”

She smiled warmly at the assistant. “so, could I make one myself?”

Matoba and Nanase looked at each other and thought it over. “Possibly” they spoke in unison.

“Would you help me?” she just continued to smile as bright as the sun.

“Seiji would love to help” Nanase offered his support. “I’ll come pick you up later” she walked away and waved.

One day he would get his revenge but for now it was too late, Touko Fujiwara was once again far more frightening then any youkai could ever be. “let’s get some paper and fabric” he muttered completely defeated and led the way.

* * *

 After leading  her to a secluded area where no one would see they working on little charms. He would have to make the instructions as simple as possible. “First sew a little pouch” he then grabbed the paper and ink from his suitcase and waited for her to finish. “then imagine protecting the person who will receive the charm to and draw the symbol that comes to mind.” Almost without hesitation she drew a symbol close to a shepherd hook with a dot in the center and three dots on top. Matoba was stunned. “that’s the symbol you see?” he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Every time Takashi has a fever when I do eventually fall asleep that night I see this symbol surrounding him with warmth and kindness in my dreams.” She stated as if it were a matter of fact. “I figured it must be protecting him when I am unable” she smiled as she finished.

After a long silence, he grabbed the paper and looked it over one more time. “Looks good, fold it and then put it in the pouch and tie it off with a ribbon.” This family was too odd, a normal person shouldn’t be able to share a dream like that no matter how powerful the child is.

“There, is it good? Did it work?” she looked at Seiji full of hope.

“Probably?” he recoiled from her eagerness. “Historically hand made charms work better but I can’t tell just by looking.” He did wonder if the kid had the ability to tell just by looking but that was a question for another time. “either way he should be thrilled to receive a gift from you” He quickly got up. “Well it was nice to see you again but I really should be going” he started to walk away, once again surprisingly exhausted but at least he didn’t reveal anything this time.

“Thank you again for the help Seiji, I hope we can meet up and just talk next time. I know you are being careful but I do have so many things I want to ask you” she waved.

She was truly the most dangerous person he had ever met. Perhaps it was prudent to just let Natori take all the jobs in this town after all.

“Perhaps” He plastered on his smile and walked away refusing to look back.

Nanase took this chance to quickly slip the woman a business card with a direct line to her boss. “in case you ever need to contact him, he can be a bit of a recluse but if it’s interesting enough he should come running.” She nodded and slipped back to the car and waited for her boss to arrive.

* * *

 

When he reached the car he just sank into the cushions. “that must have been entertaining for you” he shot a small glare at the silver haired woman. “I didn’t realize you were going to try and get me murdered by a cat today” he put his arm over his eyes, the world seemed too bright and he just needed to black it out.

“I’m quite happy you have made a friend, you need more of those.” she just chuckled as she put the car in gear and drove away.

‘ _A friend?_ ’ he thought to himself, she did call him by his first name with no fear or greed. ‘ _better not get ahead of myself '_  he smiled and closed his eyes hoping to recharge from his little adventure.

Perhaps talking with the housewife hadn’t been the worst way to spend his time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, If you see any glaring mistakes feel free to let me know!


	3. Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello, Matoba Seiji speaking” he spoke carefully assuming it was one of their more affluent clients who disliked waiting.
> 
> “Seiji?” the voice on the other end was kind and it took him a second to put the pieces together. When he did figure it out he nearly dropped the phone.
> 
> “Mrs. Fujiwara?” he looked around in case anyone else was in earshot but he seemed to be alone. “How did you get this number?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter~ These are far too fun to write.  
> This is once again thank to my friend Terisashio who I met up with yesterday and she gave me all these ideas.  
> I hope you enjoy.

Sometimes being the leader of a clan of exorcists had its dull days. Seiji couldn’t help but be distracted by the cool howling wind battering against his office window, the threat of winter on the horizon. Still work needed to be done whether he wanted to do it or not. Grabbing his pen he got to writing his monthly report when suddenly he heard the phone ring. It was odd, the call should have gone to Nanase’s phone but this one seemed to be a direct line.

“Hello, Matoba Seiji speaking” he spoke carefully assuming it was one of their more affluent clients who disliked waiting.

“Seiji?” the voice on the other end was kind and it took him a second to put the pieces together. When he did figure it out he nearly dropped the phone.

“Mrs. Fujiwara?” he looked around in case anyone else was in earshot but he seemed to be alone. “How did you get this number?”

There was a small chuckle. “Touko is fine Seiji, no need to be so formal.” he could hear her clearing her throat “It was the lovely lady who was with you last time, she gave it to me.”

His heart sank, what had he done to Nanase to make her put him in these life threatening situations so frequently.

“Seiji?” the voice on the other line continued after the awkward silence. “could i ask you a favour?”

Suddenly all that paperwork looked extremely appealing. “I’m sorry but--”

“--it’ll only take a moment, could you please come to my house” she was flat out ignoring him.

“I would love to but I really shouldn’t--” he tried to speak over her but was cut off again.

“--I’m just very worried and i don’t know how to deal with this...” she sounded sad. “you simply must come by!” he could feel the puppy dog eyes through the phone.

After another long silence and a deep sigh he conceded. “Alright, I’ll be there in an hour” she must be it quite a bit of distress after all to directly call him. “will Takashi be there?” he needed to know what precautions needed to be taken.

“No he has gone on a study trip with his friends for mid-terms” she smiled. “that’s part of why i need you here so quickly... please hurry”  
  
They said there farewells and Seiji hung up the phone looking defeated.

Changing out of his Kimono and into slightly more casual clothing. He was surprised to find his assistant already waiting at the car. Had she overheard him after all? “please head to the Fujiwara Residence as quickly as possible, Touko seems to be troubled by something”

Nanase raised her eyebrow at him using the woman’s given name but didn’t question it further and simply did as told.

 

* * *

 

The ride seemed to take an eternity, once they arrived at the door he started to get cold feet. “Perhaps we should call and cancel” he muttered.

Nanase had other plans and walked up to the door and rang the bell. “I don’t see what the problem is, you are an invited guest here” she grinned.

“Coming!” the housewife could be heard from inside. “Ah! Seiji you made it! Perfect timing” she walk over and grabbed his wrists dragging him further inside and into the living room. Surprisingly Nanase followed behind. “Wait here! I’ll be back in just a second” she had laid out tea for both Seiji and Nanase it seemed.

Seiji raised an eyebrow. “what is going on?” he muttered to his assistant.

“I wonder” she grinned.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a tiny flame perched on a cute little cake. Touko placed it down on the table then handed a noise maker to Nanase. “three, two, one...” the both pulled back on the string and little streamers burst forth. “Happy Birthday!”

He just stared at the two women dumbfounded. It was indeed the first of November, he had completely forgotten. “you’re throwing me a birthday party?” he looked at the two confused.

“You have been so busy with reports I was worried about you” Nanase grin continued to grow. “you may be our boss but you are still young, you should have fun on your birthday” she looked to Touko. “Then she wanted to help out.”

“If I had known sooner I could have finished but for now this will have to do.” she grabbed a bag and handed it to Seiji. “Winter seems to be here a little early this year” she said with a smile.

He opened the bag and in was a deep red scarf, hand knit and soft to the touch. He couldn’t remember the last time he had ever been given a present, let alone a handmade one. “I can’t thank you enough for this...” he managed to get out. It was small, almost like when Takashi had first come to this house.

The sight of him like this broke Touko’s heart but she just smiled warmly. “I’ll let you know when i finish the matching mittens OK?” she chuckled. “for now shall we have some cake?” she cut three slices. It was a simple vanilla cake with strawberry jam in the middle but it was better then any bakery cake he had ever tried.

Unfortunately they couldn’t stay long. The weather was turning and those reports did need to be finished. “Thank you for this Touko” he gave a fairly genuine smile. “next time don’t trick me by making me think something bad had happened” he chuckled and got in the car.

Nanase also bowed to show her thanks before getting in and driving away.

Seiji spent the entire trip back marvelling at his new scarf and how much time she must have put into it for him. It would be the birthday he would remember for the rest of his life.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, your kind words mean more to me then i could ever describe.


	4. Calendar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staring at his calendar Matoba cursed the little red circle on today’s date. He knew what he had to do, he knew today was the only day to do it but every fiber of his being wanted to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a different idea in mind but i wanted to get this out of the way before i even attempt to tackle that one. I hope you enjoy.

Staring at his calendar Matoba cursed the little red circle on today’s date. He knew what he had to do, he knew today was the only day to do it but every fiber of his being wanted to run. A simple quick knock on his door had other plans.

“Seiji, if we wait any longer he could return home before we get there” Nanase spoke sternly as if scolding a child who was throwing a temper tantrum.

 With a deep sigh Matoba grabbed a small package from his desk drawer and stood. “In and out.” He spoke as if this were a mission “We have to make this quick.” he walked past his assistant to the car. She couldn’t help but chuckle at his nervous nature. The target was a kind housewife, how dangerous could it be.

 

The ride there was quiet and long but eventually they did reach the Fujiwara residence. After a quick check that no children or cats were nearby he went to the front door and after many deep breaths he knocked and waited.

 “Coming!” Touko’s voice yelled from inside as she apparently finished up what she was doing in the kitchen and rushed to the door. “Seiji! What a pleasant surprise!” her smile was still as gentle as it had ever been. “Please come in.” she tried to usher the man inside but he stood firm and refused.

 “I apologize but I am in a hurry, I simply wanted to...” his voice caught. Would she believe his actual reason for being here, perhaps it would have been better to lie about it, but what lie could he tell. His mind races as he tried to come up with something on the fly.

“Seiji?” She was looking up at him with big concerned eyes.

Who was he kidding, even if he wanted to lie to her she’d see right through it. “I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday” he held out the small present. “and thank you for the scarf and mittens” he tacked on while looking away.

“Oh thank you! This looks lovely, may I open it?” She asked with a big smile. 

“Of course” he was a bit curious to see her reaction after all, he had spend far longer then he wanted to admit picking this out for her. 

Delicately she unwrapped the gift and smiled. “Oh a hair clip!” she lifted it up to inspect it in better light. It was simple and made of wood but had a lovely engraving of a crow on it. “I love it!” Without waiting for permission she gave the taller man a gentle hug. “I can’t wait to try it on” 

He was surprised by the sudden embrace but quickly relaxed and gave her a gentle pat on the back. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for cake?” she pulled back and looked at the clip again. “Takashi should be back soon with some” Her kind nature was shining through but the mention to the boy’s name just made him jump.

“Ah! I’m sorry no, I really must get going” he rushed back to Nanase. “Maybe next time” he was pushing his assistant to the car. “Happy Birthday Touko” He waved and after she waved back he practically rushed to the car. He noticed the fat calico on the fence having watched for who knows how long. 

“Drive” He spoke with the utmost urgency.

 

The cat simply watched them speed off with a “hmph” and a big stretch. Touko meanwhile headed back inside and carefully clipped her hair in place with the present she received from her friend.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this, I know it's a bit shorter then the other but still thank you!


	5. Onsen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing could be more relaxing then having a bottle of Sake in a hot spring under the stars. It had been a long day and this was the only time Matoba could use to relax and forget the stress if the day. Absent mindedly he gently traced the scar over his right eye but soon stopped. There was no way anything would dampen his mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm headed on a trip soon and I have been looking into a lot of different Hot springs so i figured it may be fun to set a chapter in one. I hope you enjoy.  
> Also not too much Touko in this one but still i hope you like it.

Nothing could be more relaxing then having a bottle of Sake in a hot spring under the stars. It had been a long day and this was the only time Matoba could use to relax and forget the stress if the day. Absent mindedly he gently traced the scar over his right eye but soon stopped. There was no way anything would dampen his mood.

Or at least that what he though until he heard the small pitter patter of paws rushing towards the bath. “SAKE~” The chubby calico lucky cat cried with glee as he jumped into the water, seeming to freeze midair as he locked eyes with the owner of the sake. “M-matoba?” before landing in the water with a large splash.

The world froze for a moment. “If the pet was here that means” He looked towards the door and saw two figures on the other side of the frosted glass. He had to hide, luckily there were large rocks in the outdoor bath. He couldn’t be completely hidden but perhaps he could hide his identity long enough to get out of the bath alive.

“What are you planning” The cat, bobbing in the water was immediately defensive. “If you do anything— “Suddenly Matoba grabbed the cats collar and dragged him behind the rock. “Let me go! Natsume!”

That was when Matoba thrust the bottle of sake in the cat’s face. “You wanted this, didn’t you?” he plastered on his biggest grin. “Keep quiet about this and it’s yours” Sure it was a decently expensive bottle but sometimes it was worth giving something up to avoid the hassle. The cat of course took one sniff and accepted immediately. At least he was cheap to buy off.

 

“Nyanko-sensei?” The young boy called into the hot spring quietly, hoping to avoid disturbing other patrons. “guess he didn’t come here after all” He noticed the other person but didn’t think anything of it as he went to wash up before slipping into the water.

The young boy was soon followed by an older gentleman. His guardian Shigeru Fujiwara. Matoba didn’t know much about him other then he was a hard worker who rarely had days off. Occasionally he would try to set aside time to take his family out. Well at least with him here even if Matoba was found out the kid wouldn’t be able to make a scene. Perhaps the two could ignore each other for now.

“Takashi, look at that view” Shigeru pointed out to his foster son. “Touko was so lucky to win those tickets”

Now things were coming into focus, now he understood why his secretary work so hard to convince him to take a break after a long day. He would have to have another lengthy conversation about this with her but for now it was all going smoothly.

“She seemed even happier that you were able to get the time off work” Takashi couldn’t help but smile. Matoba knew it was frowned upon to eavesdrop on conversations but the sincere joy in Takashi’s voice always took him by surprise.

 

“Jealous?” The fat cats grin was large and dark.

“Perhaps” Matoba just grinned in return and poured another cup of sake for the fat cat. Apparently, he had hit a nerve. When you grow up a prodigy most people either avoid you or try to use you, he had never experienced the sincerity Takashi probably got to experience every day. 

Most of the conversation was relaxed about friends, school and hobbies. The boy was asked if he was enjoying himself and he always replied positively but there was something stiff about it. Even Matoba could feel the wall Natsume instinctually put up around others.

He tried to listen a bit longer but before long he started to feel light headed, the warmth of the Hot spring overwhelming him. With limited options, he moved his hair to cover his right eye and got up to head out.

“I’m sorry were we being too noisy?” Shigeru smiled kindly at the stranger.

“Not at all, please enjoy yourself” he bowed his head and tried to ignore Takashi’s rather dramatic flinch when he recognised his voice. No time to worry about that, he just had to get out and ride this night out in his room. He was surprised by his own speed of drying off and replacing the bandage on his eye. “Well that wasn’t too difficult.” After a deep breath left to find his Secretary.

* * *

He wasn’t surprised when he saw her chatting with the housewife like some kind of long lost friend. “Nanase” He grinned as gently as possible, trying not to let his eye twitch show.

“Seiji!” Touko Fujiwara was beaming. “It’s lovely to see you here.”

“same to you” He noticed she was wearing the hair clip he had bought her and couldn’t help but smile. “Nanase, I’m afraid I overheated in the bath” he gave a small chuckle. “could you show me to the room?”

“Oh dear” Touko got up and rushed over to a vending machine, getting a bottle of cold green tea. “here, this should refresh you”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you, I’m sure with rest I’ll be fine”

“We’ll talk later” Nanase waved to Touko and got a small glare from Matoba. “ok I’ll show you to the room”

“Take care” the small housewife called. “feel better”

He simply waved and followed his secretary. “You had something to do with all this didn’t you”

She just smiled. “I have no idea what you are talking about” she opened the door and helped Matoba to his bed. “now get some rest, we’ll be leaving first thing in the morning”

Well at least they could agree on that.

* * *

At some point in the night he thought he heard the pitter patter of little paws checking to make sure he wasn’t planning something, but perhaps it was just his imagination as he drifted into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my little fic, I hope you enjoyed this.  
> If you have any situations you want to see this setting in feel free to let me know!  
> Thanks again!


	6. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The call had been out of the blue from Fujiwara Touko. After dealing with her for so long he knew better then to make an excuse. “There is a pond not too far from your place with a small gazebo, we can meet there” It was the safest place since her son most likely would avoid that area. His secretary dropped him off and he began the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write this for a while but i kept putting it off, well here you go! I hope you enjoy because it was a lot of fun for me to work on.

The call had been out of the blue from Fujiwara Touko. After dealing with her for so long he knew better then to make an excuse. “There is a pond not too far from your place with a small gazebo, we can meet there” It was the safest place since her son most likely would avoid that area. His secretary dropped him off and he began the wait.

 

He had arrived a little early however after a few hours passed he was surprised that she still hadn’t shown up. Perhaps she had gone to the wrong place? Perhaps something had happened on the way. Now he was beginning to worry. Just as he got ready to leave and find Nanase a giant white wolf landed in front of him and the fair-haired boy riding it jumped down.

The boy wore an expression Matoba had never seen on him. Not the normal fear or hatred but pleading. “Matoba” he called, his voice cracking every so slightly. “Touko! I got home and she was… She collapsed” he was shaking. “A yokai came and… I don’t know what to do”

“Calm down” he had to be strong for now, but he was surprised by just how much this news scared him to the core. “She’s at home now? I can take the car and- “

But before Matoba could finish his thought the boy grabbed his arm with the same strength as his foster mother. “-There is no time for the car! Nyanko-sensei!” With a huff the giant wolf bent down and the boy climbed on before holding out his hand. “come on!”

This was something he had never dreamed in a million years; however, it would be faster. After a bit of effort, he climbed on and the two were lifted into the air. Honestly it was an experience he would rather not repeat. The climb had been so quick his stomach felt like it was in his throat. The speed the beast managed was enough to make his knuckles white. Perhaps Natsume was far braver then he had given him credit for.

 

Soon they could see the house and the wolf put them down out of sight around the corner of the house. After taking a moment to get the feeling back in his legs he followed the boy and saw the housewife in pain on the ground. “Did she collapse infront of you?” he moved to see if there were any marks or visible curses.

“yes, she was heading out to meet someone when suddenly a yokai attacked her” he was pale with worry. “I tried contacting Natori but he’s filming overseas”

Matoba was by no means surprised he was the boys last choice but it still stung a little. “You did well in thinking quick, how long till your father gets home from work?”

“two or three more hours” He hadn’t thought that far ahead apparently.

“Then we have no time to waste” without asking permission he burst into the boy’s kitchen and called back. “You seem to be quite skilled in dealing with possessed people” He couldn’t help but remember how the boy dealt with the Mask yokai.

“Yeah but that would involve a punch” the Cat spoke up this time. “and my light wasn’t effective” Matoba was surprised how open the cat was being with him but it was useful information.

 

Matoba gathered salt before going into another room to get paper. “I’ll still be needing your help, this is not my skill set” he moved to one of the nearby empty rooms. “this will do” he got to work drawing a circle with the salt and using the paper to create a kind of bed. With a bit of struggle the two worked together to move her to the room. “Now the tricky part” He debated reminding Takashi that this is exactly why he wanted the boy to join his clan. However, with how frightened the boy was he worried it would just sour their relationship even more.

“What do I need to do” There was a surprising amount of determination in the boy voice. The time for fear had apparently passed.

“Take her hand and focus all your energy on forcing the Yokai out… when it’s out the kitty and I will exorcise it.” Nyanko just gave a huff but didn’t argue. “The spell under her will help you focus but we still have limited time, I would like to be gone before Shigeru gets back” he continued with a smile plastered on his face. He worried about Touko but now he was more curious about the boy’s power.

Takashi did as he was told, taking her hand and focusing. The spell coming to life under him.

 

“You seem to be enjoying this too much” The fat Calico glared at Matoba.

“It’s not everyday he comes and willingly asks me for help” He couldn’t help but laugh. “It must have pained him greatly.”

“He did question if seeing another friend would be more useful but in the end, he knew you were the best bet.” The cat sounded so annoyed.

It wasn’t long before there was a bright burst of light and a sticky Black yokai oozed out from Touko’s mouth. “There” he grabbed his bow and shot the Yokai as the cat gave it’s signature flash. In an instant, the creature was gone and the Mother and son were peacefully sleeping on the floor. “Guess we should get them to bed.” Part of him felt a little guilty for not telling the boy how much he'd be drained after but it would have taken too long to explain and they were already short on time.

 

However now they faced a new problem. Considering how much of an ordeal getting Touko to the room had been he called in backup. In then end Nanase had to do most of the heavy lifting, she brought Touko to the couch and Takashi to his room.

Part of him wondered why Touko had called him out in the first place but that would have to wait till next time. "make sure the boy eats lots of protein when he wakes up" Matoba instructed the cat who simply huffed in his face before slamming the door and locking up the house. With a deep sigh he made his way back to the waiting car.

 

“You look more exhausted then Natsume did” Nanase commented with a grin. “Maybe now he’ll see why it’s a good idea to join our clan”

“No, he’s made it very clear he will never join our clan.” he sunk into the seat a bit more. “but that’s fine, he owes us one now. We’ll have to think carefully about cashing in this favour since an opportunity like this only happens once.” he gave a final chuckle before doing his best to nap in the car on the way home. It had been a long and surprisingly stressful day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, if you have any situations you want to see Matoba in feel free to let me know! The reception you guys have given me for this 'supposed to be a one shot' has been amazing and i honestly can't thank you enough.


	7. Winded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been a foolish mistake but nothing could be done about it now. Matoba Seiji lay motionless on the ground with the wind knocked out of him and a nasty bump on the head.
> 
> “Seiji?” The voice was soft distant and familiar. “Seiji are you alright?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm Still on Vacation but since it was such a lovely rainy day i figured no harm in writting a chapter (since I have some time before the Ryokan serves dinner and it's far to rainy to check out the grounds) So at Terisashio's request i hope you enjoy!

It had been a foolish mistake but nothing could be done about it now. Matoba Seiji lay motionless on the ground with the wind knocked out of him and a nasty bump on the head.

  
“Seiji?” The voice was soft distant and familiar. “Seiji are you alright?”

  
“I’m fine Touko” he could hear the words slurring out of his mouth, perhaps he had hit his head harder then he first realized. “I just need to sit down a moment… Nanase will find me soon” the world was getting darker and further away but it was too risky to have this housewife by his side. He had banished the Yokai but others might come for revenge any moment. “Please leave, I’m fine” but before he could get anymore words out he was out cold.

* * *

He had no idea how long he had been out for but the sky had taken on a lovely amber colour, he took in the lovely view before processing what he had been resting on and why it was so comfortable. “Touko?” His voice was quiet and nervous, like he had done some taboo action that would definitely get him murdered by an overprotective cat.

  
“Ah you are awake, Nanase came by a little while ago, she said she was getting more people to help take you to the hospital.” She pouted. “But you and Takashi really are similar… I don’t even want to think about what would happen if he slipped in the woods all alone.”

  
“You don’t need to worry about that” he spoke before his mind could catch up to what he was saying. “He… uh… always has that cat with him right? I’m sure if… uh… something happened he would lead you right to Takashi”

  
There was a long pause and then a small giggle. “Is that so?” She then frowned a moment. “But you don’t have anyone like Nyankichi by your side?”

  
She truly knew how to hit him with the hard questions. “No, I’m afraid most people will avoid being by my side if at all possible.”

  
“Why?” She was so curious, to her he was just a shy oddball with an eyepatch, she didn’t see any harm in the question.

  
“Because…” he thought carefully before wording his next sentence. “People tend to dislike those in power… they think you look down on them and they resent you for it…” he plastered on his smile that was oh so similar to Takashi’s when he didn’t want others to worry about him. “But don’t worry, I’m used to it, I’m fine”

  
I’m fine, these words had been both a shield and a curse. How could the head of the Matoba clan be anything but ‘fine’. Some people weren't allowed to show weakness. Matoba Seiji was just one of those people.

  
Touko on the other hand puffed out her cheeks like a child would when they weren’t getting that way. “All you boys are the same, it’s okay to not be fine Seiji, it’s ok to ask for help” She gave him the brightest kindest smile he had ever seen. “I would never avoid you, or run from you… you can always come to me for help alright?”

  
The words caught him off guard. Everything about Touko Fujiwara was always unexpected. “Thank you” he said after some thought. “I’ll keep that in mind”

  
“Ah I see he woke up, good morning Seiji…” Nanase grinned at seeing her boss jump a foot. She knew he didn’t like others knowing about his friendship with Touko but it brought her great joy to surprise him whenever possible. “I’ve brought the car around, shall we head out?”

  
“Yes” he said as he rushed to stand, still slightly unsteady on his feet. “Thank you Touko, I hope I didn’t keep you too long at all”  
She just giggled. “Not a problem, I told them I would be a little late tonight” she then turned to Nanase. “Than you for your help today, please make sure he gets visited by the doctor no matter how much he protests” Her mom mode activated so quickly it nearly gave Seiji whiplash.

  
“I’ll make sure of it” she laughed and led her boss away to the car.

* * *

“I’m Fine Nanase, I don’t need a doctor” he muttered under his breath so that Touko wouldn't hear his protests.

  
“You should listen to her Seiji, she has a lot of wine things to say" her grin was slightly warmer then usual.

But only slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was done pretty quickly and on a tablet instead of a computer so i'm sorry if there are odd Autocorrect mistakes. I tried to catch them all but i may have missed some.  
> I really hope you enjoyed and hopefully i can get another chapter done soon! I'm back home in just over a week so i'll be able to work on these more then.


	8. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn’t too often that Nanase let Matoba head to the shopping district alone, there was a trick to getting some alone time Matoba learned many years ago. Apparently no one from the clan wants to be seen in a lame store buying track outfits. With his new found freedom in hand and a bounce in his step he headed to the small store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while but I've had this idea rattling in my head for a bit. Hope you enjoy

It wasn’t too often that Nanase let Matoba head to the shopping district alone, there was a trick to getting some alone time Matoba learned many years ago. Apparently no one from the clan wants to be seen in a lame store buying track outfits. With his new found freedom in hand and a bounce in his step he headed to the small store.

 Just as he was about to turn the corner he noticed a familiar small figure struggling to hold all the items she had purchased. She was alone and the boxes were covering her vision, it would be easy to escape her notice but at this point Matoba couldn’t help himself.

 “Touko?” he asked softly as he took some of the boxes from her right before she dropped them. “are you alright?” he couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of her trying to walk home like this. “Natsume isn’t helping you today?” he looked around cautiously.

 “Seiji? Ah! It’s been a long time!” she gave him the biggest brightest smile he had ever seen. “Takashi is with his friend today, but I couldn’t let this sale go to waste” she grinned as she showed off the rest of her haul.

 “It is quite impressive” he looked at all the bags, considering the weight of just what he was holding no wonder she was strong enough to drag him into their house on that fateful rainy day. “Would you like help getting it home?” He was in this deep already.

 “Are you sure? aren’t you busy?” her face was filled with worry. “you must be here for a reason”

 “Actually it’s my day off, I was simply checking out a store around here but I can do that anytime” he moved to walk beside her. “Lead the way.”

 She gave a small chuckle. “well then I wont turn down your help” she gave him a quick glance from top to bottom and chuckled. “I’ve never seen you dressed this casually”

 He wore his grey tracksuit, it was the most comfortable thing he owned but it was also useful if trouble came up while he was out. “I prefer this to business suits personally” he admitted both to her and himself.

 

The walk to the Fujiwara’s was very calm and peaceful. He decided to let her do most of the talking. She spoke of the amazing sale she had to take advantage of, the feast she would have to make her husband and son since in the end she had bought too much. There were a few times she opened her mouth to speak but she would soon shake her head and change her mind.

 “I’m glad we made it before the sun set” Touko smiled at matoba as she moved to unlock the door. He hadn’t even realized they were there already. “can you help me carry these inside?”

 Matoba looked up at the window to the boys room, still dark, it was probably safe. “Of course Touko” He willingly walked in and exclaimed his apologies for intruding.

 He was led to the small kitchen where he was instructed where to place things. It didn’t take long but moments like this just reminded him what he was missing at the place he called home.

 “Oh it’s already dark, I shouldn’t have taken up so much of your time” Touko pouted.

 “It’s alright, I’ll just call for a car” as soon as he said it he realizes he probably could have done that from the start and chuckled. No this was far more enjoyable. “I hope you have a pleasant evening Touko” he bowed his head and headed for the door.

 “Wait!” she exclaimed as he was putting his shoes back on, she rushed around the corner and did the best she could despite the height difference to give him a gentle pat on the top of his head. “You really were a life saver today, please take this” she handed him a bag with some of the items she had gotten on sale. “even with Nyankichi I don’t think we could eat it all, please take this.”

 It was so sudden that Matoba hadn’t fully processed what happened. He simply nodded before bowing and leaving as fast as his legs would take him. He hadn’t received a head pat since he was a child but the comforting feeling brought a smile to face and tears to his eyes. He didn’t want Touko to see him like that.

 

He waited at the Gazebo for his ride to arrive and his head to cool. This had been the most peaceful encounter with the house wife but this peace made his anxiety rise. What if they had been seen, what if she would become the target of a Yokai attack thanks to him. How could Natsume Takashi deal with the fear of losing people he cared about like this every day. He peered through the bag, he almost never had to cook but perhaps it would be interesting to try with these ingredients. He was so lost in thought he hadn’t even noticed his silver haired assistant creep up on him.

 “I’ll admit this isn’t where I expected to be picking you up today” she had an all knowing grin plastered on her face. “did you have fun?”

 He couldn’t help but give her a small nod, despite his fear it had been the most enjoyable day off he had had in ages. Best not to let her know that. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you have any situations you want to see these characters in let me know!  
> my friend did some fanart for this scene which i then coloured: http://raichana-artblog.tumblr.com/post/172422334969/teresashiho-artblog-well-i-was-gonna-start-the


	9. Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matoba was never the best at waiting, especially when he already knew the result. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this. Head full of sand, pain through his body at even the slightest movement and being unable to tell if it was too hot or cold. Still he waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an idea like this for a while, I had no idea how to make it happen so i hope you enjoy my solution!

Matoba was never the best at waiting, especially when he already knew the result. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this. Head full of sand, pain through his body at even the slightest movement and being unable to tell if it was too hot or cold. Still he waited.

After what seemed like an eternity he finally checked the glass rod he had placed under his tongue. “38 degrees” he muttered to himself, even the simple act of speaking sounding strained. However today was simply too busy a day to deal with this nonsense. He simply had to push through it as well as hide his condition from those closest to him.

He took the shortest path to his Office and got to work on the mountain of paperwork.

 

It didn’t take long for his head to start spinning, the requests on the page getting harder to comprehend, the ability to plan having gone out the window long ago. No one was bothering him but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up this charade much longer.

When the phone rang and his heart sank. Only two kinds of people had a line directly to his office and he didn’t want either to hear him like this. Still at this point he had no choice but to answer. Sluggishly he moved his arm to pick up the receiver however something was wrong. His vision began to blur and sway and before he could comprehend what was happening the world was swallowed in darkness. The last sound was a loud crash of something falling off his desk.

 

The discomfort was unbearable. Even in this darkness he could still feel all the pain surrounding him. Little invisible flames crawling up and down his back. Being unable to move and escape the pain just made it all worse.

Suddenly and with no warning something cool touched his forehead. It was surprising at first but comforting, a nostalgic smell filled the area. Light began to chip away at the darkness as he looked up at a figure hovering over him. ‘mom?’ he muttered to himself before the painful memories flooded back. No it couldn’t be her, she has been gone for a long time. At least this fever was kind enough to show her to him once more.

“Did I wake you?” the kind voice spoke softly. “Think you can eat something?”

Fever dream or not the idea of eating some of his mothers cooking brought him back to his time as a child and he couldn’t help but nod slightly.

With a gentle push on his back he was able to sit and slowly the figure was helping him eat what must have been Rice porridge. He could barely taste it but the feeling of warmth and kindness told him that it must have been delicious.

He had only taken a few bits before the darkness started to surround him again. He fought against it, even if this was just a dream he didn’t want it to end so soon. However despite his struggle it overcame him, but the memory of the cool hand on his forehead and the warm meal made just for him remained.

 

He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious for, all hew knew was that moonlight was shining through his window. At some point someone must have brought him from the Office. Hopefully Nanase though she would probably tease him about it later.

Slowly he sat up, a cool damp cloth falling into his lap. He realizes that must be where the cool feeling from his dream came from.

He looked around and saw a stoneware bowl he had never seen before.

“Ah your actually awake this time” Nanase entered with glass of water and some medicine. “and here I was planning to have your shiki give you your medicine.” she handed it to him with a wry smile. “You gave everyone quite a scare collapsing like that”

Matoba couldn’t help but groan, he had tried to be so discreet yet he made such a scene. “It must have been quite startling for the client on the phone”

Nanase cackled loudly at that. “To say the least, I’ve never heard anyone so panicked about your well being in all my life.”

He stared at Nanase as the pieces slowly began falling into place and all the colour drained from his face. “you don’t mean...”

“Suddenly my phone starts ringing off the hook asking if you are okay, what she can do to help. She forced me to send a car immediately while she made porridge. Wouldn’t take no for an answer, you’ve become friends with a truly frightening person.”

Matoba couldn’t help but rest his head in his hands. Touko had been in his mansion, if the boy or the cat ever found out he probably would have wished for the fever to take his life.

 

“It was pretty cute when you called her Mom” the grin on Nanase’s face getting ever larger as an embarrassed flush hit Matoba’s cheeks. “You really did seem like a little kid with a cold.”

He couldn’t take it anymore, he lay back down and pulled the blanket over his head to stop his wonderful assistant from seeing how red his face must have been.

“Yes yes get some more sleep, you need to recover” he could feel her gently pat his shoulder through the blanket. “and next time rely on us a bit more, we are all part of this clan together” he could hear her give a small chuckle under her breath. “Besides the mess you made in your office has put us much further behind then you cold ever could have.” with that Nanase left the room and gently close the door behind her.

 

With a deep breath he closed his eyes, It didn’t take long for sleep to find him and for happy dreams to keep him company.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter, if there are any mistakes or you have suggestions for improvement I'd love to hear it. Also if you have any scenes you want me to try and write let me know!  
> Also 38 C is about 100.4 F.


	10. Hairtie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be a simple job.
> 
> A weak yokai that had been causing mischief all over town needed to be seal. Matoba had done countless jobs like this before.
> 
> However what started out as a simple job ended up being a wild goose chase all over town. “It’s amazing I didn’t run into the boy and his cat” Matoba muttered to himself as he made his way to the nearby gazebo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a Request from Kou_91 https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kou_91/pseuds/Kou_91  
> It took me a while to figure out how i wanted all this to happen but I hope you enjoy!

It was supposed to be a simple job.

A weak yokai that had been causing mischief all over town needed to be sealed. Matoba had done countless jobs like this before.

However what started out as a simple job ended up being a wild goose chase all over town. “It’s amazing I didn’t run into the boy and his cat” Matoba muttered to himself as he made his way to the nearby gazebo.

He looked a mess, covered in dirt and minor scratches. His favourite grey tracksuit was torn and frayed and at some point his hair had come loose. Just as he moved to sit down he heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Seiji?”

Even though he knew the owner of the voice he couldn’t help but turn around a little surprised. “Touko” He couldn’t help but let out a tired chuckle. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

But she didn’t wait for him to finish talking, in an instant she was by his side. “Look at you! What happened? Are you hurt? You should get those cuts cleaned up” She was already frantically digging through her bag looking for something to use as makeshift bandages.

“I’m fine, just a little tired, these cuts don't even hurt and I have plenty of other tracksuits.” Matoba tried to calm her down but he could see nothing was working. “I’m sure Nanase will find me soon, you don’t need to worry about me-”

Suddenly Touko stomped her foot. “Enough” she looked down at him with what he could only assume was worry. “I hear that enough from Takashi, I don’t need to hear it from you” The small housewife yell had made all other sound stop. No forest creature or Yokai dare disturb this silence. It didn’t take long for her to calm down and after a deep breath. “Your hair is untied, can I at least help with that?”

Matoba understood that this wasn’t actually a question and he slowly turned so his back faced her. “that would actually be very helpful” He reached into his pocket and grabbed a piece of cloth that would have to work until he got back to the estate. “Thank you Touko.”

 

There was silence once again as Touko worked to gather all his hair and get out some left over twigs and dirt. “Is there a reason you have long hair?” He could tell she was just curious but still it was always so risky to talk about this with her.

“Yes, it’s for work, normally Nanase ties it back for me.” Leaving it as simple as possible seemed like the best option.

“Is that so?” she chuckled softly as she began to tie the hair. “Should I encourage Takashi to grow out his hair?”

Matoba laughed at that. “well he does have an odd hair colour so it wouldn’t hurt... granted he seems to have his own way of doing things”

Touko froze just as she finished tying the last knot. “Odd hair colour? Is light brown really that strange?”

Matoba spun his head around. “No but silver is--” His voice caught in his throat as the realization dawned on him. When they looked at the boy they didn’t see the same features. Was that the only difference? His mind raced as he tried to recover from this slip up. “I mean” He was drawing a blank.

Touko however just looked down for a moment. “Seiji, it’s okay I think I understand” she gave him a sad smile. “I just hope one day both of you can tell me about it” She gently placed her hand on his head, such a simple gesture and full of such warmth.

Part of Matoba wanted this moment to never end but suddenly she pulled away. “Oh no, it’s already this late? I have to get dinner ready.” She gave him a big kind smile as if nothing had changed.

“Sorry to have kept you so long” Matoba bowed his head still finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. “Thank you again for all your help”

Touko simply waved and headed back home with her hand over her heart.

 

“That was very close Seiji” The familiar voice of Matoba’s assistant came from behind a nearby tree making the poor exorcist jump from surprise. “I guess that is just another mystery about the boy.” she grinned.

“How long have you been there?” He could feel all kind of emotions building, mostly embarrassment.

“I arrived just after Touko did, I would have called out to you but this seemed more fun” Nanase moved closer to brush some of the dirt of his shoulder. “you really did make a mess of all this, come on lets head back” with that she turned around and headed back towards the car.

The comfort of the ride and the exhaustion of the day quickly lulled him to sleep. He still wondered what else was different about the Takashi he saw but it would have to wait for another day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoy! If you have any situations you want to see Matoba in feel free to let me know!


	11. Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matoba stood in front of the bright pink stripped building with it’s utterly adorable name in hot pink letters and surrounded by cartoony animals. With the head patissier having been trained in France Matoba always knew he wanted to try every item in the store there were just a few problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter today but it was a fun one for me to write. Hope you enjoy!

Matoba stood in front of the bright pink stripped building with it’s utterly adorable name in hot pink letters and surrounded by cartoony animals. With the head patissier having been trained in France Matoba always knew he wanted to try every item in the store there were just a few problems.

The store was always packed and he didn’t want to annoy the shop by scaring off all the customers. Then there was the issue of time. But today was his day off and he was going to enjoy some sweet treats. With no hesitation he pushed opened the door and took his first step into a new world filled with cakes and pastry.

 

Most people didn’t even notice the little bell chime as he stepped inside, however one person did. “Seiji?” The small housewife who he seemed to meet at ever turn walked over to him with a big smile on her face.

“Touko? What are you doing here?” he paused for a moment realizing there were only a few reason to come to a shop like this.

“It’s Takashi’s birthday and I always wanted to come in and look at the cakes but I never had the chance” She was beaming from ear to ear and it was infectious.

“Is that so?” He smiled back as they walked over to the display full of cakes. “what were you planning on getting him?”

“Strawberry shortcake but they already sold out” she gave a small sigh. “the other cakes are just too cute I can’t pick one”

Matoba marvelled at the selection of sweet treats in front of them. Each one more ornate then the last, still one did catch his eye and he moved to inspect it closer. It was a simple layers sponge with a deep red glazed topped with a small sugar Peony on top, it instantly caught his attention and he couldn’t help but point at it. “What about this one Touko?

She took one look at the cake and smiled. “it’s so pretty!” she chuckled. “it’s a little expensive though”

He hadn’t even looked at the price but without missing a beat. “it’ll be my treat” before she could protest. “Miss could we get four of these?”

The clerk smiled and quickly got to packing.

“Four? Are you getting one for yourself?” Touko asked innocently.

“No one for--” he caught himself, he was getting too lax around her. “one more for Takashi, I’m sure he buys an extra one for himself all the time... you know how growing boys have an extra stomach” he laughed it off but even nearby patrons could tell he was full of it. Touko just laughed at how flustered the poor exorcist got. “Anyways we should go pay” he gently nudged her over to the counter and paid for the cake and then walked out of the store with her carefully handing her the box.

 

“You really didn’t have to do that” Touko looked slightly worried, the total had been a little higher then he expected but this wasn’t the most he had ever spent on sweets.

“It’s my pleasure, Takashi has helped me a lot in the past” He paused a moment. “On that note don’t tell him it’s from me.” he gave a nervous laugh. “I wouldn’t want to put a damper on his birthday”

She looked like she wanted to protest but simply nodded. “Alright, though I wish you two would get along”

“Perhaps one day we’ll see eye to eye” Matoba plastered on the smile he was so used to hiding behind. “But for now I should get going” he bowed slightly and turned to leave, it wasn’t till he was around the corner that he realized he had forgotten to buy anything for himself. With a deep sigh he headed home, he’d just have to try again next time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been seeing the headcanon that Matoba has a sweet tooth so i kind of ran with it.  
> The shop is the one from the episode "False Friends"  
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. If you have any situations you want to see matoba in let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. 
> 
> Also had to slip in my headcanon about Takashi's grandpa, I hope no one minds~


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